Better Than I Spy
by Elennare
Summary: During a very boring surveillance, Jack and Georgina work on a prize cryptic crossword. A "Vexed" fanfic.


Notes: The magazine is inspired by "Take a Break" (holiday prizes, headlines and all), but the crossword clues were taken from The Daily Telegraph's "Big Book of Crytic Crosswords 7".  
Set sometime during Season 2, tiny spoilers for episodes 3 and 4.

Written for the "Games" challenge at fan_flashworks.

* * *

Huddled in the passenger seat of Jack's car, Georgina took a sip of her coffee, fighting the urge to drain the cup that would have to last for a while, as she waited for him to return from the newsagent down the road. Most people would have had the sense to bring something to read - there again, most people had the sense not to piss off the Chief Constable. Twice. If Jack had just managed to keep his mouth shut, they wouldn't be stuck watching over this street all day in response to an "anonymous tip" about suspicious activity in the area.

Finally re-emerging, Jack returned to the car, settled comfortably and unrolled the magazine he'd bought. Georgina's eyes widened when she saw the well-known name and the lurid headlines on the cover. It definitely wasn't the kind of magazine she'd expect to appeal to him.

"'Daughter ran off with my fiance'?" she read the largest out. "Sounds fascinating."

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't bring it to read, I got it for the puzzles."

"Why not get a puzzle magazine, then? More puzzles, less stories about..." she paused to get a better look at the cover, "'Did he murder our baby?' I think my gran used to read this."

"I didn't see any puzzle magazines with trips to California as prizes."

"Trips to California? Really?"

Jack nodded. "Prize for the cryptic crossword, two week holiday in California. Not bad, huh? I think if we put our heads together..."

"Hold on!" Georgina interrupted. "Why are you just assuming I'll help you win a holiday for you and Shannon?"

"Huh? Oh, no, it's not for me and Shannon, we broke up. Didn't I tell you?"

She winced. "No... Sorry. What happened?"

"Eh, it'd just run its course, you know?" he said nonchalantly. "Anyway, crossword. Shall we have a shot?"

"I suppose it'd be better than another endless game of I Spy," she answered with a laugh.

"Oh God yes, anything would be better than that!" he replied, groaning, as he flipped through the pages. "Got a pen?"

Opening her bag, Georgina pulled out the black pen attached to her notebook. "Who'll you be taking if you win, then?" she asked as she handed it over. "Your paramour du jour?"

"Well, I thought you'd come," he replied. When she looked at him quizzically, he hastily added, "not as a 'paramour' of course, just as a friend. You didn't actually think I'd pick your brains and then take someone else, did you? Because I have to say, that's actually rather hurtful. I can't believe you think I'd do that."

"Right, of course. Because you'd never, oh, I don't know... Make me cook and pass my cooking off as your own to impress a woman?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Hey, hey, I didn't make you cook. You were practising like crazy for that competition, all I did was make sure it didn't go to waste."

"Fair enough. Have you got the crossword there? Can I see?"

"Keep watch, DI Dixon!" he said, in a rather good impersonation of the Chief Constable. "This is supposed to be a surveillance." Dropping the act, he continued, "We both know it's actually just a bloody waste of time, but someone should keep a lookout anyway."

"Well, why don't you keep watch? My handwriting's better than yours," Georgina said, holding out a hand to take the magazine.

Jack held it out of reach. "My idea, my magazine, I do the filling in."

"Fine, suit yourself. What's the first clue?"

"'A stretcher not used in daylight'. Eight letters."

They looked at each other blankly.

"Not used in daylight? Something to do with night? Dark?" Jack said.

Georgina shook her head. "No idea... keep going."

A few more clues went by with no suggestions from either.

"Ok, let's see. 'Initially the English aristocracy's drink', three letters."

"Initially... got it! It's tea!"

"Why - Oh yeah, first letters. Good one, Georgie!"

They filled in three more clues, skipping several others, and watching as absolutely nothing moved on the quiet street they were parked in.

"I don't know why we're bothering, really," Georgina remarked as they argued about 28 Across. "What are the odds of us actually winning? I never win things in these competitions."

"Well, I do," Jack retorted. "Anyway, have you got anything better to do? Too much out there to keep an eye on? Oh, look, a little girl just went into the newsagent's. She looks suspicious!"

She pulled a face at him. "Just read the next one."

It was a long, slow afternoon, but gradually the crossword started taking shape.

"You do realise that even if we did win, we can't just go off like that?" she asked as he filled in another answer. "There's a lot of paperwork that needs to be filed for leave."

"Yes, I do know. Probably better than you, actually. When's the last time you took a holiday?"

"I take holidays!"

"But you didn't answer the question. Look, we'll do the paperwork. If we win, we go to California, if not, I bet you could use some time off, and I know I could."

At first Georgina looked as if she was going to argue, then she nodded. "I suppose so. And if by some miracle we do win, I'd better go with you. Someone has to keep you out of trouble."

"Yeah, right. I'm only taking you because I dread to think what trouble you'd get into if I left you to deal with cases on your own."

"Please. I'd do brilliantly."

"Sure you would - hold on, I think I got 24 Down. 'Poles a Communist trapped', six letters, starts with S. How about snared?"

"Trapped, red for Communist..." she deliberated, "not getting the 'poles' bit, but the rest fits. Go on, put it in."

At the end of the day, they had spotted exactly no suspicious activity whatsoever, and Georgina was beginning to be half convinced by Jack's theory that the whole thing had been made up by the Chief Constable. The crossword, however, was finished, and they stopped by the post office to mail it.

"See you tomorrow, Jack," Georgina said as he dropped her off. "The crossword was a good idea. We haven't a chance of winning, but it was fun."

"It was, and as for winning, you just wait and see. I have a good feeling about it."

She just shook her head and raised a hand as he pulled away from the kerb. They really didn't have much of a chance, statistically speaking, but who knew? They might just win, and either way, a holiday would be fun.


End file.
